


(Not) Human

by armnin



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Advanced Future Technology, Cute Marco droid!!, Droid!Marco, Erwin has a really cool droid arm replacement, F/F, Future AU, Human!Jean, Jean has trouble with technology and it's funny to watch him struggle, Jean's POV, M/M, jeanmarco
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-18
Updated: 2015-01-26
Packaged: 2018-01-19 11:17:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1467544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/armnin/pseuds/armnin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jean Kirschtein struggles day by day to locate and gather rare parts for droids that are requested by customers. It's not all that bad, really, even though most of the hot spots for said parts are in the shitty slums of The Bronx, a putrescent part of New York that's running on old programs and androids that are in need of a few years worth of updates.  Model #: 177 Code: (A4C0), a human android, escapes the fiendish grasp of T.R.O.S.T., the company that produces and distributes Droids, after he was assigned to be re-assembled for being 'too human'. Scared, lost, and confused, (A4C0) breaks into Erwin's repair shop in desperate need of mending after damaging some tactile sensors during his escape. Jean happens to be working a late shift when the security system alerts that there's been a break-in. When he goes to investigate, he wasn't expecting to find a mangled android sitting on the shop floor with a disassembled arm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Daily Difficulties

**Author's Note:**

> my snk blog is armnin so u can msg me on there if u have anything 2 say about my stories or whatever~~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An adorable android with freckles isn't something Jean deals with everyday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've had a droid!Marco au stuck in my head for months and seeing this post just made me go overboard  
> vvv  
> http://kelpls.tumblr.com/post/80779063531/runaway-robot-breaks-into-a-workshop-to-fix-a

     Water sloshed in my boots and soaked my pants up to knee length as I slipped and slid down the slum streets of The Bronx. Sirens and shouts were faint but growing louder with every sharp turn and deep puddle I came upon. The putrid smell of garbage and fumes clogged the foggy air, causing me to choke and cough with every gust of wind. I tore around another corner, nearly colliding into a mangled metal fence. I pulled at a small opening, making sure as to not get caught in the spidery net of metal before tapping viciously on the C.B. I had wrapped around my wrist. The band hummed, pixel-like blue veins stretching across the material before fading out.

     "Fuck-" I gritted my teeth, making a mental not to update the damn thing. "Turn on you son of a bitch!" I shouted, ducking my head under an extended pipe before hopping over another. "Collecting Data." a soothing voice sounded from the device. "Hurry up, will ya?!" I yelled, maneuvering past groups of bystanders here and there that were lining up at the opening food stands that thrived past 12 A.M. I took a sharp turn past a run-down Japanese food stand, ignoring the disgusting substance I just stomped into that was now coating the tip of my left boot. "Loading Data." I thumped my wrist against my thigh, "Come on already!" 

     Suddenly, the band returned to life, glowing blue entirely. "Please state your command." I stumbled down a steep hill, kicking aside a few empty cans of oil that were discarded by the careless workers of the nearby Auto-Repair shop. "Call-Shit!" my right boot caught onto a sewage cap, nearly lifting the damn thing with how hard I collided into the rain-soaked cement. "Shit is not listed in your contacts. Please try again." I groaned, jerking my foot free from the boot and clambering back to my feet. "Call Connie!" I shouted over the approaching sirens, following the slanted path of butchered asphalt and gravel until I found myself cornered in a dead-end. "Fuck me-"

     "Woah, man, I understand you're probably horny but-" I rolled my eyes, leaning against the grimy brick wall of what's probably an abandoned apartment complex. "Cut the shit and get me out of here." I panted, cornering myself in the small sliver of darkness that didn't quite reach the moonlight. Connie sighed, "Hold on, just let me zero in on your loca-" he cut himself off with a snicker. "You really need to learn the streets, man." I grunted in protest, "It's hard to know where you're going when a damn 3-eyed robot-droid-whatever the fuck dog thing hybrid is chasing you down Brenner Avenue!" 

     Connie laughed, "What would you do without me?" he asked, the smirk obvious in his tone. "Just get me out of this damn shit hole before they get here, they aren't far off from me now," before Connie even replied,a faint green glow formed around me. "Don't move as best you can, unless you wanna end up like last time-" 

     "We swore to never speak of that." I growled, fighting the urge to tap my foot impatiently as the sirens ahead cut off. I could barely make out the form of policemen exiting their vehicles as the light strengthened to a neon green. Faint commands of "Stop what you're doing!" and "Freeze!" were near whispers as the teleportation completed. 

     "Clean yourself up a bit before you even so much as take a step into the holy place of obligation." Connie tossed a towel to me as he headed to the open kitchenette. "I don't think a kitchen is really considered-" he cut me off with a stern look. "It's a room full of delicious food, what more do you _want_?" I grimaced as I smudged what I hoped was mud across my cheek, "A hot shower." Connie smiled, "Yeah, well I've got the next best thing." he said, turning away from the stove and placing a large pot of ramen noodles on the table with a loud thunk. 

*

_The next morning..._

     "Incoming call from Erwin." I groaned, considering the option of ignoring the call before deciding I didn't want to risk getting punched in the gut by Erwin's new metal-plated arm replacement. I felt around for my C.B. until I realized it was still wrapped around my wrist. I tapped the side of it, "You can't wait until 10 to wake me up, huh?" I yawned, rubbing at my eyes and shifting my weight onto one elbow. "It's 11:36." he deadpanned. "Okay, okay, you make a very valid point-" Erwin sighed, "Did you get the order I assigned to you last night?" Levi might kill the both of us if he doesn't get it soon." I snorted, "Yea, if he can _reach_ ," I separated myself from the warm cocoon of blankets, "I slayed my ass over this one, so he better appreciate it." Erwin chuckled, although it sounded crackled and strained through the shitty reception. "Good luck on trying to get a thanks out of him." he said before disconnecting. 

     I mustered up all my will in order to actually leave my bed, eventually stumbling my way to the bathroom.

     "Holy shit." I stared back into my reflection with a wince; I look fucking _awful_. I did a shittier job than I expected on washing my hair last night because there was still dry mud caked against my hairline and chunks of it clinging to strands here and there. A small cut spread over my brow and across my temple. I pressed my fingers gingerly to the deep brown-yellow bruise on the underside of my jaw before wincing and pulling away from it. The purple bags under my eyes really topped the cake. I combed through my hair, grimacing every time the comb caught on a piece of mud as it tugged my hair with it. I didn't bother taking another shower, especially in case I had to hunt down any new orders. 

     I eventually gave up on trying to look presentable, wondering back into my room to grab whatever article of clothing was in reach and putting it on. I felt around for the pouch in my jacket pockets until I was sure I had it before heading out.

*

     "You look like shit." Levi commented as soon as I entered the shop. "Gee, thanks." I replied sarcastically as I grabbed the pouch from my jacket pocket. I tossed it to him and he caught it with ease. "I still can't believe the damn customer I'm working on needs this shitty thing."

     "That's the burden of dealing with droids,huh?"  Eren rounded the corner with a box weighing down his arms. _I_ still can't believe Levi hired Eren as his new intern. _Eren, of all people._ He set the box down on the floor, turning his attention to me. "Hey, horse fa-" I raised my hand in protest, "I will fucking slay you where you stand if you finish that sentence." Eren narrowed his eyes at me, his expression immediately softening once he faced Levi. "I got the wires you needed, Levi." the man nodded, uncrossing his arms once he faced the intern. "It's about time you got the damn thing, I figured you were taking a shit with how long you've been gone." Eren broke into a soft laugh, "I missed you too." 

     I tried not to gag at the two of them. Levi definitely had a soft spot for Eren, but for whatever reason- I'd never know. "Alright, if you two are done sucking each other's dicks, I'll go find Erwin." Levi's eyes went stone cold on me as Eren's face lit up like a fucking neon sign pinned to a bar window. "At least I've got someone sucking my dick, horse face." my eyed widened, "Wait, are you two actually-" 

     "Jean, I thought you'd never leave your bed." Erwin smiled, patting me on the shoulder. I could feel the cold metal through the fabrics of my shirt and jacket. "I wish I didn't." I muttered, glaring at Eren, whose face was still red as hell. Erwin glanced at Levi, "Try not to beat him up too much, he supposedly worked his ass off last night." Levi snorted, "I can tell because he looks like shit." Eren smirked, "Shittier than usual, you mean." I could have fucking sworn I saw Levi smile-"Is that actual shit in your hair?" I groaned, carding my fingers through it. "It's mud, you fucking moron." 

     Levi practically growled at me, followed by Erwin letting out a low whistle. "Easy there, guys. We've got work to do and I don't want to search for new employees because you all killed each other." Levi grabbed the box of wires, gesturing with a jerk of his head for Eren to follow as he headed out into the garage out back. 

     "Did you know they where-" Erwin cut me off with a look that said _'Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to.'_ I grimaced, "I think I'm gonna vomit." Erwin chuckled, "Try not to get sick on your way to pick up a new order." I groaned as he moved around me to grab the order information from his office. "This one's actually accessible without it ending in you getting chased by the police." he assured me. "It's not my fault the girl at the shop freaked out!" Erwin raised a brow at me as he returned with a piece of paper in his hand. "Jean, you didn't have to break into the store and _take_ the bolt like that-It's considered stealing and I don't want illegal business on my hands." I shot him a glare and crossed my arms, "I payed the register, alright?! I thought the place was closed for the day and I needed that bolt pronto." Erwin only shook his head, handing me the paper and turning to go back into his office and saying, "Better tactics Jean, better tactics." followed by the click of the door closing behind him. 

*

     I sighed again, double-checking the paper before looking up to the my destination. It's a small, old shack with a flickering hologram spelling out the words "ANTIQUE' across the dusty storefront window. This time, the place I had to get the part from was actually open. I slowly entered the shack, gingerly closing the door behind me because if I didn't it would probably snap right off the damn hinges. The place looked abandoned, dust coating the entire exterior room. I took a few steps forward, pulling my shirt over my nose to avoid breathing in the dust particles that I'm sure are clogging the air. Everything definitely looked antique, cardboard boxes stacked on top of one another. Piles of books were crammed onto the shelves, followed by smaller objects that lined just about any flat surface that was available. I couldn't tell what they were though, the dust smothering them until they were unrecognizable. I didn't want to touch anything, afraid it'd activate my allergies to full blast or some shit with all the fucking dust-

     "I'm assuming you're the one that Erwin sent over?" I whipped around to face the front desk, but I didn't see anyone. "Um-Yeah, I'm here to pick up-" 

     "I know what you're here for. Wait a moment, if you will." I wandered towards the desk, peering over it just slightly to find the source of the voice. There was an open door leading into another room, but I couldn't see past the beads that were hung over it.  _This place is just weird._ "Ah, here it is." I heard the voice say, from who I'm assuming is an elderly man, judging by the raspy, calm tone he held. I let my eyes wander to the wall behind the desk; pictures were hung from it, but it was hard to really make out anything of them with the _fucking dust_. "What's up with this place?" I muttered under my breath. 

     "It's a bit messy, I apologize." suddenly, the man appeared, walking straight through the beaded doorway.  _Holographic beads?_ "Oh, no problem, really," I began, realizing that I still had my shirt pulled over my nose. I craned my neck at a higher angle, allowing my shirt to slink back into place. The man eyed me with a slight grin, his eyes crinkling heavily at the corners. "You do your job well, so I've heard." he says, holding out a small box for me to take. I grab it quickly, afraid the damn guy might turn into a fucking mutant or some shit and bite my damn arm off. "Erwin's been telling you about me?" the man nodded with a dry chuckle. "Indeed he has." we stood in silence for a moment, the man eyeing me as I shifted uncomfortably, averting my eyes to a picture on the wall. I was assuming it was a family portrait, barely making out the outline of a small group of people posing. "Anyway, I should let you go on your way. I've already been payed in advance so no need to worry about that. I'm sure you've got other things to do, hmm?" I nodded with a forced laugh, "Yeah, Erwin's got me running halfway across the whole state." the man chuckles again. 

     "Well, if he's ever giving you too hard of a time, tell him that old Pixis here told him to cut you some slack." I grinned, "I'll keep that in mind." he nodded, "Good." 

*

     The day mostly consisted of small errands like the one with Pixis, although not as suspiciously unsettling. Seeing Eren's face out of high school was fucking awful, to think I was done seeing his stupid fucking grin and dumb bug eyes after graduation. It sucked even more that anytime I so much as glared at Eren, Levi was there to glare right back at me. 

     "We don't have anymore orders, Jean." Erwin said, standing in the doorway of his office. I was slouching at the front desk, feet haphazardly slung over it. "Want me to stick around a little longer until we get any?" Erwin thought for a moment before shaking his head, "We've been pretty popular today, but any further orders can wait until Monday." I sat up a little, "Wait, are you giving me the weekend off?" his lips stretched into an almost-grin. "I may over-work you sometimes, but that doesn't mean I'm not reasonable." he locked his left hand around his repaired arm, running his thumb over the cool metal. "Besides, Levi's got plenty of work to catch up on before we allow anymore customers in." I nodded, "Alright, thanks Erwin. I'll close shop, though." he stood up more straight. "Jean, you don't have to." I shook my head, "I'm offering. You need to give _yourself_ a break." 

     It wasn't said directly, but Erwin knew I was referring to the recent incident that caused him to lose his arm. _Erwin really hasn't been cutting himself any slack. If anything, he was working himself harder since then_. He nodded, giving me a firm smile as his thanks. 

*

     After reassuring Erwin for the 5th time that I wouldn't mind closing shop, he left with a curt "Thank you, Jean." and nod in my direction. Levi and Eren left a little after Erwin did, Levi pestering over an oil stain smudged on Eren's cheek or some shit as they left through the garage exit. 

     I just finished locking up, figuring there wasn't anything else I could really do at this point.

     "INTRUDER." I flinched at the sudden loud shriek of the alarm coming from the garage. "INTRUDER." I felt the hairs stand on the end of my neck. " _Shit_." I glanced at my C.B., hesitating on the idea to call a minor emergency number or some shit. Updated alarms call the police immediately, but Erwin left it to me to update it.  _An awful idea, really. If he were to see the condition of my C.B., there's not way he'd leave me in charge of this._ I slowly approached the garage entrance, the alarming shrill growing louder with every step. "ACTIVATING STAGE 1 OF DEFENSE ROUTINE." I carefully tapped in the unlocking code into the system, the voice cutting off mid-sentence. I froze,  _shit I didn't know it would do that._ I waited a few moments, waiting to hear any sign of life on the other side of the door. It was a thick metal one, so of course I wouldn't hear any movement unless- a loud clatter disrupted my thoughts. I pressed the touch-sensitive pad on the door, holding my breath as it squeaked open. 

     "Whoever you are, I've got the police on their way." I lied, attempting to make my voice as stern as I could manage. The clattering noises stopped abruptly, followed by what sounded like an intake of sharp breath that _definitely_ wasn't mine. I felt a little more at ease, figuring it was probably some damn teenagers or something and not a rabid droid mutant. I peaked around the door frame, jumping back at the sudden sight of someone sitting on the garage floor. Their back was turned towards me, and their figure was hidden almost completely in the shadows. "Stand up and face me." I commanded. The intake of breath was louder this time, a short gasp sounding through the silence. "I-" began the voice. I slammed my hand on the light activating pad that was perched on the wall beside the door frame. A gust of air broke me of my concentration on the figure; my eyes darted to the side. The garage opening didn't look damaged, but it was open and leading to the extra working space outside. "I need-" the voice started again. 

     Slowly, I stepped into the garage, approaching the figure but keeping a safe distance. "Speak up." I said, slowly reaching for the crowbar that was splayed across the nearest shelf. The figure's shoulders tensed, head bowing down until it was almost out of my vision completely. "I need help." the voice was quiet. It sounded brittle and afraid, but I didn't let my defense down. "This is a business. If you need help with a repair, you could have just fucking called or something." I was beginning to get impatient, turning the crowbar over in my palm. Slowly, the figure turned around. " _Oh, shit._ " I breathed, taking in the severe damage that was inflicted on what was apparently an android. "What the hell did you do?" I asked, loosening my grip on the crowbar slightly. The entire upper right side of the droid was wrecked to shit. The arm was completely detached, lying limp in the android's lap. The first layer of skin was pealed back all the way up to his face, revealing the tactile sensors that lined his body. My eyes moved to scan the part of his face that wasn't damaged. His eyes were huge, alert and watching my every move. I noticed that he was unlike most androids already-most of em' had blue eyes, but this one's eyes were the colour of coffee beans or some shit. _Oh my god, he even has freckles._

"I-" he started, pressing his lips tight together before looking down at his disassembled arm. "I had to run away." if it weren't for the toll taken on the android, I would have thought he were human. I stepped closer, feeling as though I was approaching a deer. "Run away from what? From who? Are you some damn fugitive?" the android shook his head slightly, his hand moving to cup the back of his neck. "T.R.O.S.T." he said simply, no further explanation really needed. There's been cases of escapee droids from T.R.O.S.T. before. The place is a real shit hole, if you ask me. It's not that uncommon for androids to escape places like that for whatever reason, although I haven't heard of any cases where they haven't been found and returned for reassembly. I weighed the pros and cons in my head. Technically, he _is_ a customer. I can't get in trouble with the law for helping a customer, right? Besides, it's obvious that the police around here don't really work for shit. _At least not in this part of state._

     I placed the crowbar back down onto the shelf. "Alright," I began, catching the androids attention as he looked up at me, his fingers tapping against his thigh worriedly. "Let's get you fixed up, yea?" 


	2. Repair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How do you take care of a fugitive android???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jean no-jean that's not how you-JEAN

     Not even ten minutes later and I'm confused, covered in oil, and staring helplessly at the terrified synthetic organism sitting in front of me. "Okay, so I just need to replace the skin tissue and...and-" I stared down at the dissembled arm in my hands. "Shit." I muttered under my breath. The android didn't say much, just taking in his surroundings and biting at the part of his lip that was still intact. "If you don't stop biting your lip like that, you won't have any of it left." he stopped instantly, sitting up more straight and focusing on anything but my face. I let out a deep sigh, poking and prodding at the tactile sensors and watching as the android flinched. "You feel that?" I asked. He nodded in reply, parting his lips but closing them again. "You can speak to me, you know." I said, glancing up at him with a small grin to ease the tension. 

     "I can still feel and react to the tactile sensors, even if the limb they are attached to is disassembled." I nodded, poking at it a few more times. "You know," I started, picking up a screw and tightening a few bolts here and there because I didn't know what else _to_ do, "You seem really...human-" he stayed silent. "for an android, you know?" I added. He lifted his head slightly, casting a glance up at me before looking back down to his lap. "That's why I ran away." I paused for a moment, placing my screwdriver down beside me. "Wait..Say that sentence again." he furrowed his brows. "That's why I ran away..." he repeated slowly. I breathed out a short laugh, "Wow, you even use contractions. That's not too common with human androids." the left side of his face gained a blue undertone, _is he blushing?_ "It's just something I've been doing since I was created." I patted him lightly on the knee, "No need to feel guilt." 

     After a few more minutes of not knowing what the fuck I was doing, I decided that calling Levi and getting my ass kicked for it was better than accidentally breaking a human android. "I'm gonna call in a guy that actually knows what he's doing, alright?" the android nodded slowly, "Would it be bothersome to call him this late?" I paused for a moment,  _damn this thing knows better than I do about a person he's never met._ "Yeah, he'll probably beat the shit out of me for it, but I don't know what to do with an android arm and you probably don't want to be without the right half of your upper torso til' Monday." 

     "Call Levi." I commanded my C.B., noticing how the android stared at the device around my wrist with fascination. The dial tone sounded for a while and I was tempted to end the call-

     "This better be fucking good because you fucking woke us up."  _Us?_

     "Is that Jean?" I heard Eren ask in the background.  _Gross._ I willed myself not to make a side comment because, honestly, _who would want to sleep with Eren?_   "Spit it out, Kirschtein." I brought myself back to the situation at hand, glancing down at the arm in my lap. "Well, there's a new customer and-"   
     "Tell them to fuck off until Monday." 

     I tried to avoid looking at the androids startled expression, "Levi, there's a fugitive android from T.R.O.S.T. in the shop with half of his upper body torn to shreds. I don't know how to fix any of this shit." there was a long sigh on the other end, followed by the faint sound of a bed creaking and muttered curses. "I'm gonna kick your ass." Levi threatened before ending the call. I smiled up at Marco, "You'll be fixed up in no time!" 

*

     "You can't even leave me alone for over a fucking hour before you call me because of a fucking androi-" Levi cut himself off once he entered the garage and caught sight of the android sitting on the repair table. "Holy shit." he breathed, rubbing at his eyes. I suppressed a smile as best I could, _seeing Levi in plaid pyjama pants and one of Eren's dumb over-sized tee shirts was hilarious._ "What the hell happened to you?" he muttered, approaching the android and leaning in to examine the damage. 

     "I wasn't sure which tools you wanted me to grab from the trunk, so I just brought the toolbox." Eren entered the garage with a loaded toolbox hauled onto his shoulder. The shirt he was wearing looked awfully tight on him. _They share each other's clothes. Gross._ "Holy shit." he smiled wide, eyeing the android as he set the toolbox down next to the android. I watched Levi press his fingers to the tactile sensors and prod at the layers of skin tissue. "The interaction rate is extremely advanced." he noted, more to himself. He turned to Eren, "You think you can make a graph of the interactions? This isn't something you see everyday." Eren nodded, grabbing a few tools from the box before walking around Levi to get to the android's other side. 

     The android's eyes shifted back and forth from the two, but his face remained calm. "The synergy hill is higher than average." Eren noted after a few minutes of assembling the graph into a visible hologram for Levi to see. He pointed to a line in the graph that inched upwards, "See?" Levi nodded, humming softly as he began working on fixing the android instead of studying it. I just stood there, watching the two of them work and not knowing what the hell they were really doing. 

     "So, you got a name?" I asked to break the silence. The android looked alarmed for a moment before regaining his calmness. "I only have a model number and code name." he replied, craning his neck once Levi began working on it. "What is it?" Eren asked suddenly, handing Levi a new patch of synthetic tissue. "My model number is one-hundred and seventy-seven." Levi nodded, "Yeah, it says it here." he handed Eren a scrap of metal that came from the androids forearm. "Most androids have their model numbers and shit carved into the inside of their right arm. That's probably why they tried to blow it off of you, if that's what happened." the android nodded. "The code name kinda looks like it says a name...Aco?"

     I grunted, grabbing the piece from Eren's hands and squinting at it.  _(A4C0), hmmm._ "Maybe something more simple like..Archo?" I shook my head, "No...Maybe..Marc..?" I paused for a moment. "Marco!" the three of them turned their attention to me. Eren opened his mouth to say something, but the android cut him off. "Marco." he repeated, a small grin spreading over his lips. "I like Marco." I smiled at the an-Marco. "Marco Bot. Get it? Because he's a ro _bot_." Levi snorted at Eren's dumb pun. "Bodt." he offered, finishing the final layer of skin on the neck. "It sounds better than just _Bot_." Marco's grin widened, "My name is Marco Bodt." he sounded the words aloud. 

      _Marco Bodt._

_*_

_"Fucking finally."_ Levi sighed, dropping his tools on the table and leaning back against it with another heavy sigh. "You really fucked yourself up, kid." he looked to Marco. Marco ducked his head, "Sorry." Levi clicked his tongue, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand before grimacing at the oil and sweat on it. "Don't apologize," he started, wiping his hands off on a rag. "If I was in your situation, I'd do the same damn thing." Eren nodded, placing the rest of his tools away before closing the toolbox. "Yeah, but how is he going to get out of this without getting caught?" I plowed through the options in my head, "The cops around here are shit." I mentioned. Levi frowned, "Yeah, but T.R.O.S.T. doesn't fuck around when it comes to fugitives and shit." 

     Marco started biting at his lower lip again, glancing down at his repaired arm and flexing his fingers as a distraction. "I'll do what I can to help, but he's not staying with me." Levi said. Eren frowned, but Levi spoke again before the other had a chance to argue. "I've already got a filthy brat to deal with." he raised a brow at Eren. He crossed his arms and frowned, but said nothing. "You'll have to get him an identification card and what not. I know Hanji's all about illegal shit, so I'll have to call her down here sometime this week. Until then, keep him out of trouble." he hauled the tool box into his grip, grabbing Eren's wrist with the other hand. 

     I glanced at Marco, "Wait wait wait wait! You're telling me that _I_ have to take care of him?!" Levi grunted in reply as he exited out the still-open garage exit leading outside. "Try not to flirt with him when you're drunk!" Eren called over his shoulder just as he was out of sight.

     I faced Marco, "Well I guess you're staying with me for the time being." he nodded slowly, staring at his arm for a few moments before looking back up at me.

     "Thank you, Jean." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> now jean has to add 'dealing with a cute android' to his morning routine


	3. Android Daycare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry jean but android daycares don't exist yet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't know how to insert links into text when im typing out notes because im a total loser BUT tumblr user zitronenlimodoc made an aMAZING doodle based on this story and you should totally look at it  
> http://zitronenlimodoc.tumblr.com/post/83624718701/i-was-reading-this-very-cute-android-marco-fic-by

     "Welcome to the Jean Kirschtein Luxury Inn." I chimed, typing in the entrance code on the front door. Marco jumped back slightly once the door split itself in half, both sides of it retracting into the frame as we entered my apartment room. "This is where you live?" Marco asked just as the door closed behind us. "Yep!" I tapped the touch-sensitive pad on the wall, triggering the kitchen light to flicker on. "It looks...old." Marco was still standing near the front door as I entered the kitchen. "Yeah, I got a few updates here and there, but most of the furniture is from the 90's and shit." Marco took a few small steps forward, his eyes scanning across the small area. I saw a blue light flicker within his eyes.  _Is he collecting data on my apartment?_

"How did you find furniture in such good shape from that time period?" I shrugged, opening the refrigerator. "A few good antique shops here and there, mostly." I cringed as the smell that enclosed me.. " _Gross_." I pulled my shirt over my nose to weaken the putrid scent of rotten food.  _I really need to go grocery shopping._ I quickly grabbed the half empty jug of milk and slung it into the trash bin. Soon followed a rotten box of strawberries, eggs, butter, and a glass jar of olives that's been there for _months_. I turned swiftly on my heal, catching a glimpse of Marco running his fingers across an old movie poster before retracting them quickly and standing stock still to face me. I grinned, "You can look around _after_ we go grocery shopping."

*

     "What if I'm recognized?" Marco whispered, ducking his head slightly as we entered the store. "Simmer down, Bot-Boy, this part of town is relaxed," I stopped to grab a few boxes of cereal and toss them into the cart. "Besides, you're wearing one of my _amazing_ ball caps as a disguise." Marco sighed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "A hat isn't really a disgu-" 

     "You like Cocoa Puffs, right?" I asked, gesturing to the box in my cart. "I don't eat."  _Oh yeah._ "Shit, I forgot." I apologized, continuing down the crooked isles. Marco still seemed on edge, fumbling with the bill of the ball cap and running his fingers over the thin skin of his wrist. "Is this place...safe?" he asked in a hushed tone. I cracked a grin as I snatched a jug of milk. "It looks pretty suspicious, but it's alright." Marco didn't look convinced. "Half of the lights are broken, the tile is tinted green with..mold? And I haven't even seen anyone else here." _that was the most I've heard him say since I found him broken on the garage floor._ _"_ Not a lot of people come here at night." 

      " _I wonder why_." he mumbled, more sarcastically that I thought androids were even capable of. I shot him a glare, "Don't make me take my Pokémon hat back." I threatened. He sealed his lips shut, edging closer to me charily in order to avoid a large black puddle of _something_ that looked like it was oozing from the next isle over. "Now may be a good time to leave." I grabbed Marco's wrist as I directed us to the register. No one was in sight, as usual, so I placed my items down on the counter and hopped over it to the other side. "What are you doing?" Marco asked, glancing around hurriedly. "Relax, I do this all the time." I pressed my fingers against the plastic buttons of the ancient register's keyboard, nearly having to punch on a few keys to get them to work as I rung up my purchases. "It took me a while to figure out how to use this damn thing, it's old as fuck." I laughed, pulling out my card and swiping it through the card slot. The card was covered in dust once I examined it afterwards, but the transaction still went through. 

     I gestured for Marco to follow me as I walked back around the counter and placed the items in a few paper bags. "The technology around here varies." I mentioned, handing him a bag to carry as we headed out. Marco nodded slowly as he followed me down the cracked pavement. "This is nothing like T.R.O.S.T. headquarters." I glanced at him, smiling at the way his eyes wandered around the city as if it were a haven. "Nothing is like T.R.O.S.T. except T.R.O.S.T." I said, maneuvering around the clots of people that began forming at the opening food stands. "It's so plain there," Marco's voice sounded distant as he said this. "All the technology is advanced." he added. I nodded, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and yanking him closer to me as a skeptical group of mutants walked by. Marco furrowed his brows at me but I shook my head, "You're better off avoiding things like that." I mumbled into his ear, my hand still gripping the fabric of the shirt I gave him since his previous one was torn to shreds. 

     *

     "I know androids don't sleep and shit, but I'm tired as fuck and it's like," I paused, setting the groceries down on the kitchen counter before checking the time. "12 A.M." I yawned, pulling the items out of the paper bags before placing them in their proper places. "I have a resting mode, although I haven't used it yet." Marco replied, toeing off his shoes at the door. "Oh, uhm-" I walked out of the kitchen into the living room until I reached the stack of 2 mattresses I had crammed in the corner. "You can sleep on the bed, I'll take the couch." Marco furrowed his brows, slowly approaching the bed as I tried to make it look slightly more presentable. "Is the couch comfortable for sleeping?" I waved my hand at him carelessly, "I'll be fine, just go do your resting thing." Marco looked reluctant, but eventually climbed onto the bed. He leaned himself against the wall, ignoring the blankets and pillows that were splayed across the mattress. I was about to tell him that he could use them, but suddenly his eyes flashed a bright green color. "Marco?" 

    His body shifted to the side slightly, his head craned into the corner where the walls of the room met. His eyelids slowly fluttered shut, and his skin looked more dim as if he was a television and something just cut the power off. "Alrighty then." 

*

     "Jean, it's 9 A.M. on a Saturday, what the fuck do you want?"

     I managed not to panic, tapping my fingers against my thigh as I glanced at Marco again. I tried waking him up a few minutes ago and he wouldn't and that's when I realized I have no idea how to get an android out of rest mode. "Marco went into rest mode last night and I don't know how to wake him up." Levi cursed under his breath, "Couldn't you just have fucking looked it up online or some shit?"  _Oh._ "Well I already called you and you're already awake so help me." 

     "I'm going to fucking beat the sh-" Levi cut himself off with a deep sigh. "Androids usually have a set time for how long they sleep. Do you know what Marco set his time to?"  _Shit._

 _"_ I don't even think he's ever used it before- _Shit_. I don't know what he set it to, either." Levi groaned loudly. I could practically see the look of pure hatred on his face. "I'll be at your shitty apartment in an hour or so, but only because I want to find out more about your new android boy toy." I scoffed, "He's not my-" 

     "Short Ass has ended the call." the C.B. informed me with a soothing voice.  _I really hope Levi never finds out what his name is in my contacts._

*

      I paced back and forth, stopping occasionally to glance at Marco only to see that he was still in rest mode. I wanted to take a shower and get back into my regular morning routine, but I was afraid of leaving Marco by himself. I didn't want him to freak out if I wasn't there or something. _God, I wish they had a daycare for androids. Oh shit, maybe they do-_

     The muffled sound of someone muttering was heard just as the front door opened to reveal Levi. He shuffled inside, hauling a bag over his shoulder. "You really need to change your lock code, it's too obvious." was the first thing he said. "Is not-" Levi gave me a sharp glare, "The numbers you use on the keypad are faded from all the times your disgusting, grimy fingers have touched them." I shrugged, "I'll fix it later."  _We both know I won't._

Levi set his bag down, unzipping it before standing back up to look at Marco. "How long has he been out?" I rubbed the back of my neck, "Since around 12 last night." Levi hummed to himself as he set out a few tools that I've seen him use before. It was then I noticed Eren wasn't here to follow after him. "Where's Eren?" Levi looked up at me skeptically, studying my expression for a moment. "He's sleeping like a fucking rock and I didn't want to wake him up. He's  a damn grizzly bear in the morning before he gets his coffee."  _I know, I had to share a dorm room with him._

Levi tied a loose belt around his waist lined with tools before making his way towards Marco. He eased his right knee onto the corner of the mattress, "Come here." he ordered. I sauntered over to the where Levi was. "Hold him up for me, alright?" he asked, leaning over to get a grip of Marco's arm. He pulled the sleeping body towards him, Marco's head falling to the side as he was dragged across the bed. Levi practically shoved Marco into me, his forehead colliding into mine. "Shit-Ow!" Levi didn't apologize. "Support him so that he's sitting up, I need to get to the nape of his neck." I nodded, holding Marco up from underneath his arms. I nuzzled his head onto my shoulder, "Hold his head up." 

     I tried to keep his weight balanced as I let go of his right arm, placing my hand under his chin and holding his head up for Levi. "I don't know what he's got in that head of his, but it's heavy as fuck." Levi snorted, grabbing a small drill from his belt. "Keep it still, I need to open the nape of his neck up so that I can get to the control board. Once I get it open, I can turn off his resting mode properly without damaging him." I nodded, peering over Marco's shoulder to try to watch. 

     "Stop moving, you're going to fuck this up and if you fuck this up, you might fuck up the android." I stiffened, trying to keep as still as possible.  _Don't break Marco. Don't break Marco. Don't break Marco-_

"Wh-" Marco breathed in sharply, sitting up straight suddenly and staring at me wide-eyed.

     "Jean-" 

    "Holy fucking shit if you don't stop fucking moving I'm going to fucking break you on accident." Marco sealed his lips shut, still staring at me and looking heavily confused. 

     " _What happened_?" he mouthed. 

     "You went into sleep mode, remember?" Marco furrowed his brows before raising them. "I-I remember now-" 

     "Stop talking, I'm almost done." Levi said, calmer this time. Marco breathed out slowly, staring at me confusedly because my face was still inches from his, but if I moved and made the bed shift Levi might just kill me. We sat there for a few minutes, just kinda staring at anything but each other's faces to make it less awkward, _(it didn't work)_ , as Levi worked his magic or _whatever the fuck_. 

*

     "I called Hanji last night. She said she'll be down at the shop on Tuesday. Until then, don't you fucking dare ask me to help you with anything else and let me enjoy my weekend while I still have it." were Levi's last words before he left the apartment. I turned to Marco with a crooked grin, "Let's try to be more careful before he kills the both of us, yea?"

     Marco smiled, "He cares a lot." I studied Marco's sincere smile and big, brown eyes. _He's adorable holy shit._ "Yeah, I would never say it to his face for the sake of my own life, but he cares a lot more than he says he does." 

     *

     "What-No, you can't possibly be better than me at video games, Marco. I am the kin-what the _FUCK_?!" Marco looked over to me with a concerned expression. "What? Jean, are you okay?" I stared at the hologram stretched across the wall that spelled 'PLAYER 2 WINS' in big block letters. I looked back at Marco, who was still looking at me as if he was concerned for my mental health. "This is your first time even _touching_ a game controller and you, you-" Marco placed the controller aside and raised his hands in mock surrender, "It's just a simple concept, Jean." I shook my head, "I was about to say that you're not human, but you're literally not human." 

     Marco breathed out a laugh, grabbing the controller and leaning back against the stack of mattresses. "I'll go easy on you this time, just try not to punch my arm again if I start winning."

 

     

 

 

 


	4. Work Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco does Jean's job better than Jean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if this is going by sluggishly!

      I tapped my thigh impatiently, listening to the monotone ring of my C.B.

     "Erwin Smith, leave your name and information and I'll try to contact you as soon as possible." I sighed in relief. I mean it's not every day that you have to call your boss up and ask him if you can bring a fugitive android to work. I rubbed at the back of my neck nervously, running my fingers over the undercut.  _I really need to shave it again-_

     "Jean? Sorry about that, my communication band was acting strange. Is everything okay?"  _Dammit._

 _"_ Oh, hey Erwin. So, I've got to ask you about something." Erwin clicked his tongue on the other end.

     "Levi called me just a few hours ago about the android incident. Also, that goes to show you didn't update the security system like I told you to."

      I let out a nervous laugh.

     "About that-" 

     "Jean, I understand that you want to help this android," his voice held the tone he used when he was trying to be stern but sympathetic.  _Oh no._ "but helping a fugitive from T.R.O.S.T. is extremely risky. I don't need my shop to be closed down over something so common. In all honesty, I'm surprised Levi didn't send it away immediately. But...He did say he wanted to run some tests over him." 

     I realized I was holding my breath, suddenly letting out an over exaggerated sigh. "I know it's risky and all, but Marco-" I glanced over at him. He was watching me with a concerned expression. I sighed again, turning away from him and entering the bathroom. I closed the door behind me, knowing it wouldn't block him from hearing the conversation but at least I wouldn't have to see that look on his face. "He's different, you know? There's something about him that's not like other androids, it's weird. Not weird, really, I meant-" 

     Erwin was the one to sigh now, "Jean, I dislike T.R.O.S.T. as much as you do, but this isn't the kind of situation that's worth risking our jobs over." I shook my head, leaning against the door with a loud thud.

     "Please, Erwin, give him a chance. He doesn't need to be around the shop long, okay? Hanji's going to be here on Tuesday to make an ID and everything for Marco, then he'll be out of your hair-" 

     "Levi informed me of Hanji's visit. What are you going to do with an android, Jean? You can't just keep him locked up in your apartment while you're at work. Even with an identification fix and a citizenship card, he could easily be caught and sent back to the facility. He may seem human, Jean, but he's not and they'll know it when they see him." I wasn't normally one to argue with Erwin, but this wasn't an argument I was going to let go of. 

     "Erwin, please, just-let me figure it out, alright? I can talk to my landlord about Marco moving in with me, at least temporarily." 

     Erwin paused for a moment, "You can't keep him on an invisible leash, Jean. He needs to live on his own, eventually." 

     I nodded, "Yeah-Yes, I know. I just need to help him for now, okay? Once this all blows over, he'll be able to do whatever he wants. Besides, we really need to wait this out. I'm sure the city is crawling with searchers right now. It'll take a while for them to back off, you know?" 

     There was a long pause on the other end, and for a moment I was afraid that I lost.

     "Well, there is some things that could be worked on in the shop while you're picking up orders. Especially with how busy we are at the moment. That way I could keep an eye on him, I suppose." I leaned up off the wall with a jolt of surprise. 

     "Really?! Thank you so much Erwin! I won't let you down." 

     "I just hope you know the situation you're getting yourself into, Jean." 

     I snorted, "Come on, it won't be that ba-"

    "Erwin Smith has ended the call."

*

     "Marco!" Eren beamed as we entered the shop. I shot him a glare, but he ignored it and made a beeline towards the android. Marco smiled at Eren, his eyes examining the details of the room before moving his attention to him. "Hi, Eren." Eren patted him on the back, "I'll be the one to show you around until Erwin gets here." I headed for my usual spot at the desk, cringing at the notifications that loaded the monitor. "Damn, these things just keep coming in. Why the sudden flood of customers?"

    Eren leaned on the counter to glance over at the monitor. "Damn, that's more than I expected. Hell, with all the work we're being put under, I'm surprised Levi convinced Erwin to let us keep him." Eren gestured to Marco, who was standing awkwardly in the center of the room. 

     My head shot up, "What do you mean Levi convinced him? I felt like I was pulling teeth trying to get Erwin to let me help him!" Eren's eyes widened as a snort of laughter escaped is lips. "This is probably something Levi doesn't want you to know, but-" he glanced around as if Levi would crawl out of an air vent and surprise attack him if he overheard the conversation, "I heard him on a call yesterday with Erwin. He said he wanted to run more tests on Marco and all that shit, but he told Erwin that he better not let you know that he had a say in helping you out." I gaped at him, "Damn, he's gone soft-"  _  
_

"Who's gone what?" Levi asked as he wedged his foot in front of the garage entrance. I quickly averted my eyes back to the monitor.

     "Nothing-Let me help you with that." Eren hurried over to Levi, taking the crate of tools from his arms. Levi gave him a skeptical look, but shifted his eyes to Marco. "Oi, Marco, you can start by helping us carry these tools out back." Marco nodded, giving me one last glance before heading towards the two. "I was going to give him a tour first!" Eren argued, frowning as if he just dropped his ice cream on the damn sidewalk. Levi rolled his eyes, "What more is there other than the lobby and the garage? He's already seen the garage and he's in the lobby now-Erwin's office is off limits so he's ready to get to work." I tapped out a few more locations into my tablet, "When's Erwin getting here, anyway?" 

     "Beats me, old man said he had errands to do or some shit. Get to it with those orders, pony boy."I could have fucking  _sworn_  I saw Marco hide a laugh at the nickname Levi gave me before they went off to working. 

*

     I had to haul my ass all the way over to Scarsdale for an order sent in on Friday. I sneered as my foot came in contact with a thick puddle of mud. "I don't need these getting fucked up, too, dammit." I muttered, trying to wipe some of the sludge off on the curb of a sidewalk. At least the place was pretty calm for The Bronx, not even a single vehicle in sight. I headed down Park Road, taking a liking to the new software we got up in the shop. It makes it a hell of a lot easier to find the parts that are ordered rather than having to call up the connections Erwin knows here and there; especially since most of those calls go to Hanji, and she's difficult as hell to end a call with. She'll ramble on and on for hours about the new droid she's picking through. Well, the droid is actually old as shit, some piece of trash she found in a dumpster or some shit-but she claims that she's got a new blue print for a re-build that will bring it back to life in tip-top shape. 

     I felt kinda bad for Marco, knowing that Hanji is gonna freak the fuck out over him tomorrow. Hell, even Levi took an interest in the damn android, that's saying a lot. I looked up from my tablet, catching a faint glimpse of a red glowing light through the heavy fog. I stumbled down a steep stretch of road, watching as the red light became more focused as if someone was cleaning a camera lens. Eventually, I found myself standing in front of another auto repair shop. It was bigger than the one I worked at, and it actually had an official sign that hovered in the air above it in neon red letters. 

_Mike's Auto Repair._

I entered the shop, relieved to see that it wasn't some creepy ass run down shack like the one I went to on Friday. I wandered through the isles, picking up some things that weren't orders,but Levi had reminded me to pick up a few Nylon Inserts and Castle screws that were running low in his supplies. I figured that the order for a Hex Socket screw was something I needed to get from an employee. I headed towards the register, dropping my purchases on the counter and grabbing a pack of beef jerky from a small rack to place on the counter next to them. I was about to call out for someone, seeing that no one was at the front desk-

     "I thought I smelled a new customer," I heard a man say from somewhere on my right. I turned just as a tall man with shaggy hair entered from a door labeled 'EMPLOYEES ONLY'. "Hey, you're Erwin's kid, right?"  _I'm not a kid I just turned fucking 20. "_ You know him?" I asked instead. The man laughed, disappearing behind the counter as he crouched down to get something. "I've known Erwin since we were teenagers. In fact, he was just here about half an hour ago. He said he was heading back to the shop." I narrowed my eyes, "Wait, did he pick up the part I need?" Mike shook his head with a smile, "He told me you'd get it." 

     I scowled,  _dammit Erwin._  Mike set a small box on the counter before ringing up the items I had. The money amount beamed between us in an overly-bright red hologram. I grabbed the shop's point card, handing it to him. "You gonna buy beef jerky on the shop's card?" he asked with a grin. "I won't tell the big boss." he then added with a light chuckle. I smiled,  _at least one of Erwin's friends isn't crazy or creepy. "_ Thanks, man." he nodded, "Call me Mike." 

      _Oh damn, he owns the place._ "Thanks, Mike. See you around!" I called over my shoulder before stepping outside into the thickening fog. _One order down, only too fucking many left to go._

_*_

After gathering more parts, falling shin-deep in a puddle of mud, almost getting fucking decapitated by a hover car, and having my life threatened in Spanish by a shop owner, I was finally finished with picking up orders for the day. 

     It started raining just as I entered the shop. I sighed in relief because honestly, I was already soaked in humidity and mud and I didn't need rain to add on to that. I headed towards the garage, knocking on Erwin's office door as a sign that I was back. 

     "Don't you fucking dare take a step inside of this garage with your filth." I didn't get a chance to blink before Levi caught a sight of my damp hair and muddy pant leg. I grinned, taking a step over the door frame. "It's a garage, Levi, it's already filthy." he narrowed his eyes at me from over his shoulder before turning back to face a stack of boxes. "Just keep your nasty ass away from me. I've got to mark down the last of these and I don't need mud getting on my tablet." I kept my distance, noticing that Eren and Marco were out of sight. "Where's the idiot and Marco?" 

     I could see Levi's shoulders tense slightly, "Eren and your boy toy are out back." I would have said something in return, but Levi has a set of tools next to him and I don't want a wrench lodged into my skull so I headed out back. 

     "Don't tell me you broke my android." I said as I rounded the corner. " _Your_ android? You sound more possessive than Levi, god." I felt my face heat up. "It was just a joke, shut up! Besides, Levi's like a fucking hound dog when it comes to that shit." I managed to change the subject just as I caught Marco giving me a look. "What have you guys been doing while I was slaying my ass over half of The Bronx, anyway?" 

     "I helped update the new security system, ironically." Marco said, breathing out a laugh.  _He's so ador-_

"Yeah, we just did shit around the shop that Erwin needed fixing on. Basically, we did what you were supposed to months ago but didn't." Marco chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck. 

    "Don't be so mean to each other, guys." we both turned to face him. I wanted to say something like " _You didn't have to deal with this shit in high school."_ but he looked so innocent and oblivious. I sighed, "Yeah, Jaeger, simmer down." he gaped at me but said nothing as he patted Marco on the shoulder and shoved past me to go back in the garage. "I'm clocking out, have fun with your boy toy." 

**_"He's not my fucking boy toy!"_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //i use the word shit way too much i am so sorry// eren and jean act like they hate each other but theyre obviously bffs pfft


	5. Fascination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanji!!!!! (among others)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (also sorry the paragraphs and all are a little crazy bc i couldn't get the format to stop acting up!! )

                         "Okay, before she gets here, there's a few things you need to know about Hanji." I was leaning against the front desk, Marco sitting in the desk chair. "First off, she's kind of crazy. Don't get me wrong, she's really smart and pretty cool, but she's very...hyper." Eren shoved his way though the half opened entrance to the garage. "She's more than hyper, she's-"   
  
     The front entrance door slid open, Hanji barreling in like a bat out of hell with a big box in her arms. "I'm here!" she boomed, setting the box down on the desk as ungracefully as one could. "Here." Eren finished with a tiring expression. Erwin exited his office and greeted Hanji with a subtle nod and smile, "I think you'll definitely take interest in our project of the day." he gestured to Marco, who was observing Hanji with interest and what looked like slight concern. Hanji turned to face Marco, completely oblivious to him until now.   
  
     "Holy shit! You're so much more advanced than I expected!" she was all over Marco now, observing everything from the freckles on his face to the veins in his wrist. "The detail is amazing," she whispered to herself, turning over his hand and running her fingers gingerly over the repaired damage. "You really do look human, more so than any android I've ever seen." her face broke from amazement to a crazy grin. "Time to make your name official, Marco." Hanji started rustling through the box she brought, pulling out a camera among other things needed to make his ID.   
  
     "All identification pictures have a background color according to your class, so we'll give you a blue one; that's middle class, the most common one. I'll have to edit it into your picture, which won't be hard at all, really." she turned the camera on before spinning to face the rest of us, "You all can continue, leave the rest to me." I nodded, "Make sure you don't break him." I added jokingly. Hanji smiled, "You'd be more devastated over that than Marco, wouldn't ya?" I huffed, figuring that arguing with her would get me no where. "Whatever, I've got some orders to take care of, anyway."   
  
~  
  
     "Jean! I haven't seen you in a while, how are you?" I couldn't help but smile at the kind nature of the friend I've known since middle school. "Hey, Armin, I'm doing great. You?" he nodded, tucking a few strands of hair behind his ear with more grace than you'd think is possible. "I'm fine, I really miss hanging out with you guys, but you're all so busy now. Especially since Mikasa's new job requires her to be out of state so often." I nodded, frowning a little. "On the bright side, she's supposed to be back pretty soon, huh?" Armin chuckled, "Yeah, there's not way she'd get a job that would make her stay so far away from Eren for more than a few weeks, even at this age." He was right, Mikasa's the most protective sister I've ever seen, but she damn sure is the best, too.   
  
     "So, what're you here for today?" I slid my tablet over the counter to Armin. As he examined the information, I took a good look around the place. Armin's been working at this shop for a little over a year now, but it was so...dead. I've told him more than once to come down over to Erwin's place and try out for a job there. I know Erwin would be more than glad to have the help, but Armin insisted that quitting a job so early would hurt his record for future jobs. "We really need an extra hand in Erwin's shop, you know. More than ever now," I glanced up at Armin, who now was looking at me with that look on his face that he's given me the last two times I've brought up this subject.   
  
     "Jean," I stood up more straight, waving my hand to silence him before he went off on another reasonable argument. "Come on, Armin, would you please at least turn in an application? You've been working at this deadbeat place for over a year now! Hell, Erwin wants another employee so bad, he'd barely glance at the application!" We both knew that wasn't true, because Erwin was far too professional for that, but we also both knew that Armin has a better chance than any to get in. Armin sighed, turning away to get the part I needed. I knew he was considering it, I could almost hear the gears shifting in his head. He returned with the part, having wrapped it even nicer than needed to buy himself time, and because he was, well, Armin.  

  
     "Okay, fine." I cracked a grin, just about ready to hope over the counter and give him a pat on the back. "We both know I hate working here, and I guess quitting now wouldn't harm me since it's been over a year...but I still need to turn in an application and give my boss a heads up. I'll turn in my application before the day is over,      and a week's notice sounds about right. Besides, this place has an overabundance of employees on part time." I took out my points card and handed it to Armin, nudging his hand with mine a little with a laugh. "I'm really glad, man. Eren's going to go crazy, but I won't tell him. I'll let it be a surprise, he'll totally shit his pants." Armin chuckled lightly, "Yeah, well let's hope the sake of Levi that he doesn't."   
  
~  
  
     "Say hello to your newest citizen, Marco Bodt!" Hanji was overflowing with excitement as she presented Marco to me. "I almost convinced her to make his last name Kirschtein." Eren smirked, dodging a punch that I tried to aim at his shoulder. "Technically, it's his middle name." Hanji confessed, backing away before I got a chance to punch her shoulder, too. "Are you serious?!" everyone, even Levi for god's sake, was trying not to snicker. "What? It's just something to fill in the blank!" I narrowed my eyes at her, "Yeah, whatever," I sighed, "Thank you anyway, for doing this and all." Hanji shook her head, "It was a pleasure, honestly! Seeing the infamous Marco for myself was really a great experience! I'll definitely be pairing up with Levi to run some tests on this work of art. Now all I've got to do is actually transfer the information onto a physical ID, but all the details are already registered into official documents."   
  
     "How did you do that, anyway?" Hanji's smile turned devious, "A few things here and there, nothing worth going into detail about." I decided to leave the subject, thanking Hanji for her help before she bolted out the door to go off on some other mini expedition.   
  
~  
  
    The great thing about Marco officially moving in with me was that he didn't actually own anything, so that saved the hassle of transferring boxes from his place to mine. "We've really gotta get you some clothes so you can stop borrowing mine." Marco frowned a little, bunching the fabric of my tee shirt into his hands, "But I enjoy wearing your clothes. They're soft and they smell good."  _Can he stop being cute for like two seconds?_ "I'm only letting you wear mine until I run out of clean laundry." Marco seemed fine with this, relaxing his shoulders and plopping down on the nearest bean bag. I was about to say something about dinner, but my C.B. sounded off and interrupted me. "Bara Bitch is calling."

   
     "Reiner? Hey! What are you doing, man? I haven't seen you in over a week!" Reiner's booming chuckle echoed throughout the room. Marco sat up a little to hear the conversation better. "Hey, my favorite homo! How's it going?!"  _I really need to get a headpiece for this damn thing._  "Are you drunk?" I asked, rubbing at the back of my neck and facing away from Marco. "The real question is why aren't you drunk here with me?! Come on, man! Live a little and get your ass over at Connie's place! It's just going to be the guys tonight!" I heard Sasha shout something in the background, "Well, the guys and Sasha," he corrected. I glanced over at my shoulder to Marco, who was pretending he wasn't listening as he twiddled his thumbs and focused his eyes on one of my posters.  
  
     "You know what? Yeah, sure. Tell Connie to zap us over there." Reiner made a grunt, "Us?! You've got a date, Kirschtein?" I lowered my head as I felt my face heating, "He's a new citizen, if you want to be technical." Reiner was silent, probably trying to connect the dots with his drunken state of mind. "Hey, don't move man, I'm picking you guys up now." Connie called out to me. I nodded, gesturing for Marco to stand next to me. "Get ready to meet some of my friends, Marco. They'll like you," the neon green light washed over us. Marco stood stock still, his eyes shifting nervously. "Don't worry about it, just stay still and all is well. Oh yea, one more thing, Reiner's hammered drunk right now so-"   
  
     "WOAH! WHO'S THE CUTE FRIEND?!" Reiner's voice was even louder in person, his face tinted pink with an overflowing beer in one hand as the other held a tight grip around Bertholdt's shoulder. Marco's face gained a light blue tint, "Oh, hello." he said softly. Connie made a low whistle, "Who's this, Jean?" he raised his eyebrows at me. I scowled at him, "A friend of mine." Sasha shot up from her spot on the couch next to Connie, "Hey, how are ya? I'm Sasha!" Marco smiled, shaking hands with her, "I'm Marco, nice to meet you." Sasha glanced at me then back at Marco before looking at me again. She stepped closer to me and lowered her head to whisper into my ear, "He's cute, Jean. You gonna ask him out?"  
  
     I sighed, gingerly pushing her away. "Oh, come on, Sash! Give us a break, will ya?" she gasped, "Wait! Does this mean you already did?!" I shook my head, waving her off, "No! We're just friends is all!"  _There's no way in hell I'm telling them that he's currently living with me-_ "Yes, we are good friends as of recently. In fact, I just moved in with him today." Everyone went dead silent and turned to look at me. Bertholdt cracked a grin, "Just friends, yeah?" I could feel my face getting hot, this was a mistake. "No, no, no, no, it's not like that! He's got no where else to live, so he's with me for the time being, alright? Nothing more!" Marco turned away, probably to say something to Sasha or something, I wasn't really paying attention.   
  
Eventually, everyone settled down and stopped the accusations. Armin and Eren showed up not too long after..  
  
     "Where's Levi?" I asked, nudging Eren's shoulder. Even though we piss each other off constantly at work, we really aren't that bad of friends. "I was going to drag him here with me, but he looked really tired. I made him take a sleeping pill and go to bed before I got here, he really needs the extra sleep." Armin looked a little down when Eren mentioned Levi, and it kind of pained me too knowing that Eren didn't know why. I sure as hell did, but I wasn't going to go and tell him, that's something for Armin to do. Now whether he'll ever tell Eren or not is beyond me. Honestly, I'm surprised Eren never caught on that Armin's been head over heals for him since-   
  
     "Grab another drink, won't you Jean? One for Marco, too! He hasn't had one this whole time, has he?" I just realized neither of us have mentioned Marco's inhuman characteristics. I felt that telling them now would be an overabundance of trouble, considering they were all drunk except for Eren and Armin, who both knew. "I'm-"

  "He doesn't drink." I blurted, giving Marco a stern look, hoping he'd understand and play along. Marco nodded, "Yeah, drinking doesn't suit me well. My stomach is rather sensitive to alcohol." Bertholdt nodded in understanding, placing one of the beers down before handing me the other. 

  
Marco and I headed back to my place as soon as Reiner started pulling at Bertholdt's belt and Armin was drunk crying on Eren's chest about something along the lines of quantum physics. Sasha was already out like a light and Connie didn't dare move while Sasha was using his lap as a pillow.   
  
     "Your friends are funny, I like them." Marco had told me once we settled down in the silence of my place. "You're part of the group now. They really like you too." Marco smiled, "They think I'm cute." he said rather proudly. "Well they aren't wrong." I said aloud, not realizing my words until Marco was looking at me with bright blue dusting underneath his freckles. "I-I meant that-" I stretched, letting out a fake yawn, "Man, I'm tired. Aren't you? I'll crash on the couch again, try not to scare me  with that whole sleep thing again." Marco seemed a little let down, nodding. I wanted to ask him about it, but I figured I should leave it alone until a better time. "My time is set to 9 A.M." he informed me before getting under the covers of my bed.   
  
     We lay in silence for a while, and I wondered if Marco could control what time he went to sleep or if it was timed, too. Although I think Levi said something about setting it to where it wasn't. "Are you sure the couch is comfortable? Comfort doesn't matter to me, really." my mind was a little hazed with the alcohol enough to where I almost considered just sliding into the bed next to him. "It's fine," I mumbled, feeling my eyelids grow heavier with sleep. "Goodnight, Jean." I nodded even though Marco couldn't see it, "Night, Marco." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oOoOoooo relationships r starting to fire up ;)


	6. Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean ran out of clean laundry.

     "Come on out, Marco, I wanna see how it fits you! It must look great since _I_ picked it o-" Marco reluctantly exited the dressing room, allowing the door to slide shut behind him. "Oh-Oh my god," I covered my mouth, trying so hard not to let my laughter escape. Poor Marco already looked like he hated the idea of shopping. The sweater I picked out for him looked absolutely ridiculous on his small frame, considering it was an extra large. One side of it was slowly sliding down his arm, revealing a cluster of freckles on his shoulder. Honestly, it looked pretty cute on him, but Marco thought otherwise. "This looks ridiculous, Jean!" the blue undertone started to glow a little on his facial features. _Come to think of it, blue was starting to become my favorite color_ -"Jean?" I snapped out of it, sitting up more straight at the sound of my name. "Yeah?" Marco rolled his eyes, "I asked if there was somewhere else we could go for clothes since I'm not having much luck here." 

     "Oh, come on! I love thrift stores! It's where I get all of my _amazing_ apparel." I gestured to myself, Marco in return letting out a little giggle.  _That was so fucking cute holy shit_. "Why can't I just keep wearing your clothes? They're comfortable and they fit me for the most part."  _Is he trying to kill me?! Does he realize how flirty that is? Of course he doesn't he's a damn android, Jean._ "Normal people don't just share all their clothes with someone else! That's something weird clingy couples do." Marco's head perked up a little, "We're a couple?" he asked, the blue becoming more noticeable. "Wh-What?! No! No, I'm only-You're just wearing my stuff until we get you some of your own! Which I'm trying to do right now," I rubbed the back of my neck,  _you better not be blushing, Jean, I swear to god-_  
  


 _"_ Incoming call from God."  _Speak of the devil._ "Hey, Historia!" I heard a faint mumble in the background that sounded like Historia, "It's Ymir. We're throwing a little get together with the group tonight around nine, so be there with your new boyfriend." I turned to face away from Marco, "He's not my fucking boyfriend!" I whispered harshly into the device. Ymir laughed, "Yeah, whatever, just be over at Historia's tonight, it's going to be a full house and then some." Historia said something that I couldn't quite understand, "Oh yeah, and bring some beer or something!" I sighed, "Do you th-"   
 

     "God has ended the call." 

     I turned to Marco, who wasn't there. "Hey, Marco?" the doors to his dressing room slid open. _Holy shit._ "Does this look okay? I kind of like it but..." Marco turned away from me to look at his reflection, and I may or may not have stared at his ass. _I mean, you would too if you saw how he looked in skinny jeans, damn._ "-old, but they look pretty new, I guess." I zoned back in halfway through whatever the hell he was saying, but honestly I have no idea because I was still staring at his ass. Marco turned back to face me, "They look just like yours!"  _They sure as hell don't look this good on me, though._ "Get them!" I said, maybe a little too enthusiastically. _Calm it down, Jean._  Marco's face lit up with a grin, "They look good, then?" I nodded, "Y-Yeah, whatever." _Wait, I didn't mean to say it like that._ Marco's facial expression was unrecognizable before he went back to his dressing room. I consider punching myself in the face as I sit and wait at the bench for Marco to finish trying on whatever he finds on the interactive catalog. Honestly, finding clothes is a big pain in the ass without those damn things. 

~

     After about two hours of shopping at five different stores, we successfully got Marco a shitload of clothes. Honestly, he probably has more than me now. I didn't spend that much, thanks to thrift stores, but Marco kept insisting he pay me back with the money Erwin gave him for pitching in at the shop. I shook my head, "Keep it, really! It's all you've got so far, anyway." Marco grudgingly put his card back into his new pants pocket as we entered our apartment. "Am I...working with you guys at the shop? Like, as a real job?" I stopped, setting the bags of clothes down. "That's a good question, actually. I guess we'll have to ask Erwin about it on Monday, but I'm pretty sure Erwin would replace you with me in an instant if I wasn't the only one doing the dirty work."    

     Marco frowned, "I don't want to work at the shop if you aren't there, Jean."

     "Erwin wouldn't fire me, don't worry. Also, Eren and everyone else down there really take a liking to you, so it wouldn't be so bad." Marco nodded, "Yeah, I like them, too." 

~

     "Heeeyyyy! Wassup man??" Connie answered the door, swaying to the left until his shoulder slammed into the door frame. I shoved him out of the way, "Jesus Connie, it's not even 9:30 yet!" 

     I could feel Marco's hand tighten around my wrist as I guided him through Historia's house. It was pretty spacious and extremely clean and in order, that is until she holds a party. Hanji, Erwin, Mike, and all the other old farts were sitting on one of the couches, talking among themselves with a beer in hand. Sasha, Connie, Bertholdt, and Reiner were currently drinking from the keg spout. Armin, Eren, Mikasa, and Annie were playing some sort of mix between a card game and beer pong. Hannah and Franz were making out in the corner, Ymir and Historia doing the same in the kitchen. There were a few more people here and there, some I didn't even know the names of. "A-Are these all your friends?" Marco asked quietly, I could barely hear him over the music and people. "Most of them, yeah. Armin's here, you haven't met him yet but I think you two would get along really well, come on." 

     I tugged Marco along, weaving around clots of half-drunks until we reached the table occupied by the four. "Jean!" Armin stood from his chair, swaying ever so slightly in place. He walked towards me, "Did Erwin tell you that I got the job?" he asked excitedly, his face tinted with a faint blush. Eren was ecstatic along with Armin, both of them waiting for my reaction. "Dude, I told you so! That's great, we'll all be working together!" Armin's face changed from excited to shock and interest when he noticed the android behind me. He didn't say anything before I stepped aside to push Marco towards him. 

     "Meet Marco, guys!" I had to shout to be heard over the overbearingly loud rock music that was no doubt thanks to Ymir. "Is this a friend of yours?" Armin shouted to me, smiling at Marco and shaking his hand. It dawned on me as I scanned my eyes over Annie and Mikasa that Mikasa was actually here and not off on some trip somewhere. "Mikasa! You're back!" Mikasa turned her attention from Marco to me, smiling. "Hey, Jean. I'll be back for another week before I'm off to Pennsylvania." I swung my arm around her to give her a loose hug, nodding at Annie as a hello because I knew she sure as hell wouldn't let me hug her. _In fact, I'm pretty sure the only person she'll let touch her is Mikasa. I think they have a thing going on but I'm too scared to ask-_

A harsh pat on my pack startled me, "HEYY JEANBO!" Reiner's voice sounded like a bomb going off with how loud it was. He struggled to keep his hand steady as beer bubbled over his cup and hand. "HOW'S IT GOING, MAN?! I SEE YOU GOT YOUR BOYF-" his words were cut off by Bertholdt, who promptly clamped his hand over Reiner's mouth. "Sorry, Jean." he apologized, seeming to be the only one not drinking. "You know how he is when he's drunk," he smiled, giggling as Reiner tried to land a sloppy kiss on his neck. Suddenly, the music stopped and everyone's loud voices grew to a few quiet mumbles as Historia stood on top of her coffee table to gain everyone's attention. She was so short that Ymir had to place her on her shoulders so that everyone could see.

     "Due to popular request, we're going to have a slow dance!" low whistles and giggles erupted throughout the crowd.  _Who the hell would request a slow dance?_  Just before Historia was put down, she looked directly at me and winked.  _Oh no she fucking didn't. Did they fucking set me up?! They fucking set me up!_ Everyone quieted down as an old sappy love song from the 50's started playing. I watched as everyone made their way to their person of choice, Reiner nearly picking up Bertholdt as they headed to the cleared area in Historia's living room where the dance is taking place. Mikasa and Annie slowly stood up, heading to the living room.  _I fucking knew it._ Armin downed another drink nervously. 

     "Aren't you going to dance with Levi?" Armin, as much as he may have been trying to hide it, looked miserable as he asked. Eren thought about it for a moment before standing up and offering his hand to Armin, "What? I can't dance with my best friend?" Armin's cheeks were almost as red as a candied cherry as he carefully took Eren's hand and stood up from his chair; I winked at him as they left. Just about everyone was crammed in the dancing area, Marco and I standing off to the side awkwardly. "I..-" I rubbed at the close shave on my neck, hoping that my blush wasn't apparent in the dimmed lights. "Do you want to dance with me, Jean?" Marco asked, cheeks glowing that faint blue that I've grown a little too fond of. "I-Uh," 

     "Who's the cute friend?!" Mina was as drunk as she could get, tripping over her own two feet before colliding into Marco with a giggle. Marco's eyes widened, looking up at me as she began tugging him towards the others. "Jean-" he laughed nervously, forcing a smile down on Mina. She all but dragged him to the clot of dancing drunks, pushing past Ymir and Historia before disappearing with Marco reluctantly following behind her as he looked at me with a pleading expression to help him. I waved at him cheerfully, silently thanking god that I didn't have to dance with him.  _If I danced with Marco to a song like this I might accidentally kiss him and then he'd hate me forever._

     "Where'd your freckled knight in shining armor go?" Thomas asked, hugging his stomach as he emerged from the hall to stand next to me. "He's certainly the talk of the town now, huh?" I asked sarcastically, crossing my arms. Thomas laughed, "Yeah, everyone's waiting for you to ask him out." I glared at him, "How does everyone know him and suddenly just assume I'm in love with the damn guy?!" I was starting to get a little pissed. Shit like this get's annoying after a while, you know? Thomas smiled, "I heard it from Franz, who said he heard it from Hannah, who heard it from Mina, who heard it from Annie. Annie supposedly heard it from Mikasa, which of course heard it from Eren." I could feel my blood begin to boil, probably more from the alcohol than from the situation. "Of course it was fucking Eren, the damn dumb ass." 

     Thomas held his hands up in mock surrender, "Hey man, calm down a little, yeah?" I puffed out a sigh, leaning against the wall. "Sorry, this whole Marco situation is just a little unnerving." Thomas nodded in understanding, "I haven't heard much about him, but maybe he likes you too." I was about to accuse Thomas of being a lousy drunk, not knowing what he was talking about, but he was already bolting down the hall with his hand over his mouth. _Damn lightweight._  

     Once everyone started getting rowdy again, the music changed back to being obnoxiously loud and fast-paced. The crowd broke apart, Sasha and Connie heading straight for the kitchen. Marco still had Mina latched onto his arm as he trudged towards me. "I'm ready to go home." he looked kind of pissed and tired,  _could androids get tired?_ I felt bad for him but the party was just getting started and everyone else was having such a good time. Not that I really felt all that uplifted myself, but maybe if we gave it time we'd be more in the spirit. "You're so dreamy, Matthew..." Mina was practically falling asleep as she leaned all her weight against Marco. Marco kindly pushed her off of him, guiding her to a nearby stray couch cushion that was laying on the floor.  He walked back to me, slamming his back to the wall ungracefully with a loud sigh. "I don't think I'm cut out for parties, Jean." 

     I grabbed another beer from the lukewarm cooler at my feet, cracking it open and taking in a few gulps. "Parties aren't that great until you loosen up." Marco eyed the beverage in my hand with a look of distaste. "You wanna try?" I asked, leaning closer so he could actually hear me. Marco said something, but I couldn't hear with the music getting louder and louder. His lips formed into another sentence that I couldn't understand. I finished off my beer, tossing the can aside. Marco looked kind of...angry? "Hey, man, I can't hear shit out here! Let's-Woah!" 

     Marco grabbed my arm not-so-gently, pulling me off somewhere; I couldn't get my eyes to focus. Once we stopped moving, I blinked a few times before I realized we were in a really small room. It was cramped and there were stacks of blankets and pillows crammed on one shelf. "Are we in a closet?" I asked, feeling my vocabulary slip. My breath reeked heavily of alcohol and my attention span was drifting away from me little by little. I didn't realize I was focusing more on the muffled music outside rather than Marco until his hands landed steadily on my shoulders, "Jean!" I looked back up to him. He was extremely close, like, _really close_. Not that he had a choice with how much space was provided to us. 

     "You've been acting really weird all day and you're even weirder now that you've been drinking. I-I don't like it and I just want to go home!" _I've_ been acting weird? _What the hell?! If anything it's your fault for being_ "-so damn cute! I mean, I can't even think straight when you're around! Not that I'm straight anyway, thanks to assholes like you! W-With your fucking freckles and shit! Fuck guys like you, like, not literally-Okay, literally but also figuratively!" Marco was staring at me wide eyed, the blue tint returning to his face bright enough to light the room alone. I had to squint a little just to avoid it hurting my eyes.  _Why is he blushing so fucking much?_ "You-You like me?!" I stared at him for a good minute before I realized I said all of that out loud. 

     "Shit! I-Uh," I started laughing because I didn't know what else to do in a situation like this. I tried to move my hand to the back of my neck, but my elbow slammed into the door. "Shit! Ow, fuck! God-" 

     "Jean."

     Marco's voice was so soft and calm, I don't know how I heard it over the pounding sounds in my head. I looked up at him again, our noses brushing together. "I like y-"

     "WOAHHHH!! LOOKS LIKE WE GOT OURSELVES SOME LOVE TURDS!" Eren yelled, the door swinging open and hitting Connie in the face. Sasha was laughing, potato chips spilling from her mouth and back into the bag she was holding. "TURDS!" she repeated, tears threatening to leave the brims of her eyes as she practically choked on her own laughter. "B-BIRDS! LOVE BIRDS!" Eren corrected, taking a swig from his can of beer that landed more on his chest than in his mouth. _Where's his shirt?!_ "E-Eren, calm down," Armin was giggling, trying to pry Eren away from the closet entrance. "HEY, ARMIN, ARE YOU MY LOVE T-BIRD?" Armin's eyes widened, removing his grip from Eren's arm to hover his hand over his mouth. "Um, I-We're friends, Eren." 

     "LOVE CURD! DOVE T-HEARD!" Eren was shouting anything that rhymed with love bird, his words slurring into one another until he started shouting things in German. It didn't get any better when Reiner barged in on the conversation, Bertholdt hopelessly trapped in his one-armed embrace as he tried to take Sasha's half-eaten chips. 

     My head is spinning with everything that happened and is happening, a tight pain starting to formulate in-between my eyes. I could't tell if the music toned down or if my hearing was getting worse along with my eyesight as everything began to blur. _Shit, how much did I have to drink, anyway?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't want to make this chapter too long so i'll stop it here and start the next chapter with jean waking up with a ~lovely~ hangover fun fun fun <3


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